This invention relates to alarm clock and timer functions, especially for communication terminals.
Many people use alarm clocks to help them wake up in the morning. Many devices, including communication terminals, offer alarm clock functionality. The normal method of operation is that a user indicates a time to the alarm clock device. When a timer in the device matches the time indicated by the user the device sounds an alarm. The user can stop the alarm from sounding, normally by pressing a button on the device.
There are situations in which this type of alarm is insufficient. Even if a person is technically awake they are not necessarily conscious of what they are doing. If the user is deeply asleep or very tired then he might stop the alarm and then inadvertently go back to sleep without actually getting up. In such ‘early morning’ situations users often rely on ingrained behaviour. These situations can be ones where the user is the most keen that the alarm should wake him: for example he might need to get up early for a flight, after a particularly heavy drinking session the night before or when simply being exhausted.
To overcome this problem some people try putting their alarm clocks at the bottom of their bed, or on the other side of the bedroom, but it can be difficult to remember to do that.
Some other types of alarm facility are more effective. For example, hotels often offer a wake-up call service to telephone a guest at a pre-arranged time. An alarm telephone call of this type is often more likely to wake the guest than an alarm clock would be. The guest has to pay more attention to answering a phone call than to cancelling an alarm clock, and the phone call is more likely to make the user alert because answering the phone requires more concentration. This service is not so readily available to the public when they are at home. However, some telephone operators offer a centrally run alarm call service to home telephone numbers. A subscriber can call a network service centre from his home phone and indicate a time at which he wants to be called. The service centre returns the call at the indicated time. The user has to pay a premium charge for this service.
There is therefore a need for an improved form of alarm.